Short reviews of science fiction and fantasy short fiction

2012 Hugo Award Winners (fiction categories)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 03:26:00 +0000

Best Novel
Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor)

Best Novella
"The Man Who Bridged the Mist", Kij Johnson (Asimov’s 10-11/11)

Best Novelette
"Six Months, Three Days", Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com 6/8/11)

Best Short Story
"The Paper Menagerie", Ken Liu (F&SF 3-4/11)

"The Paper Menagerie", Ken Liu

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:17:00 +0000

SS F&SF (Fantasy & Science Fiction) March/April 2011 – fantasy

An American boy's Chinese mother makes origami paper animals for him. She breathes life into them, at least figuratively, perhaps more. The paper tiger, Laohu, takes on the neighbor kid's Obi-Wan Kenobi toy. The boy wants his mother to be less foreign, more American, and speak English to him.

A good story. When grown-up, the boy regretfully realizes he didn't know his mother, who was a mail-order bride, that well.

2012 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:12:00 +0000

2012 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novella

"The Ice Owl", Carolyn Ives Gilman (F&SF 11-12/11)
"Countdown", Mira Grant (Orbit Short Fiction)
"The Man Who Bridged the Mist", Kij Johnson (Asimov’s 10-11/11)
"Kiss Me Twice", Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s 6/11)
"The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary", Ken Liu (Panverse Three)
Silently and Very Fast, Catherynne M. Valente (WSFA)

2012 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:07:00 +0000

2012 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novelette

"Six Months, Three Days", Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com 6/8/11)
"The Copenhagen Interpretation", Paul Cornell (Asimov’s 7/11)
"What We Found", Geoff Ryman (F&SF 9-10/11)
"Fields of Gold", Rachel Swirsky (Eclipse Four)
"Ray of Light", Brad R. Torgersen (Analog 12/11)

2012 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:43:00 +0000

2012 Hugo Award nominees for Best Short Story

"Movement", Nancy Fulda (Asimov’s 3/11)
"The Paper Menagerie", Ken Liu (F&SF 3-4/11)
"The Homecoming", Mike Resnick (Asimov’s 4-5/11)
"Shadow War of the Night Dragons, Book One: The Dead City (Prologue)", John Scalzi (Tor.com 4/1/11) "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees", E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld 4/11)

2011 Hugo Award Winners (fiction categories)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear, Connie Willis (Spectra)

Best Novella
The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Ted Chiang (Subterranean)

Best Novelette
"The Emperor of Mars", Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s 6/10)

Best Short Story
"For Want of a Nail", Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s 12/10)

2011 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:58:00 +0000

2011 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novella

The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
"The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon", Elizabeth Hand (Stories)
"The Sultan of the Clouds", Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s 9/10)
"Troika", Alastair Reynolds (Godlike Machines)
"The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window", Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Summer 2010)

2011 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:53:00 +0000

2011 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novelette

"The Jaguar House, in Shadow", Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s 7/10)
"Plus or Minus", James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s 12/10)
"Eight Miles", Sean McMullen (Analog 9/10)
"The Emperor of Mars", Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s 6/10)
"That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made", Eric James Stone (Analog 9/10)

2011 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:47:00 +0000

2011 Hugo Award nominees for Best Short Story

"Ponies", Kij Johnson (Tor.com 11/17/10)
"For Want of a Nail", Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s 12/10)
"Amaryllis", Carrie Vaughn (Lightspeed 6/10)
"The Things", Peter Watts (Clarkesworld 1/10)

2010 Hugo Award Winners (fiction categories)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:25:00 +0000

Best Novel (tie)
The City & The City by China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK)
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)

Best Novella
"Palimpsest" by Charles Stross (Wireless; Ace; Orbit)

Best Novelette
"The Island" by Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2; Eos)

Best Short Story
"Bridesicle" by Will McIntosh (Asimov’s 1/09)

2010 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:53:00 +0000

2010 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novella

"Act One", Nancy Kress (Asimov's 3/09)
The God Engines, John Scalzi (Subterranean)
"Palimpsest", Charles Stross (Wireless)
Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon)
"Vishnu at the Cat Circus", Ian McDonald (Cyberabad Days)
The Women of Nell Gwynne's, Kage Baker (Subterranean)

2010 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 May 2010 02:30:00 +0000

2010 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novelette

"Eros, Philia, Agape", Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 3/09)
"The Island", Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2)
"It Takes Two", Nicola Griffith (Eclipse Three)
"One of Our Bastards is Missing", Paul Cornell (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume Three)
"Overtime", Charles Stross (Tor.com 12/09)
"Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast", Eugie Foster (Interzone 2/09)

2010 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 May 2010 05:47:00 +0000

2010 Hugo Award nominees for Best Short Story

"The Bride of Frankenstein", Mike Resnick (Asimov’s 12/09)
"Bridesicle", Will McIntosh (Asimov’s 1/09)
"The Moment", Lawrence M. Schoen (Footprints)
"Non-Zero Probabilities", N.K. Jemisin (Clarkesworld 9/09)
"Spar", Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld 10/09)

2009 Hugo Award Winners (fiction categories)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Best Novel
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

Best Novella
"The Erdmann Nexus" by Nancy Kress (Asimov's Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette
"Shoggoths in Bloom" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's Mar 2008)

Best Short Story
"Exhalation" by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

2009 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:57:00 +0000

2009 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novella

"The Erdmann Nexus", Nancy Kress (Asimov's Oct/Nov 2008)
"The Political Prisoner", Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF Aug 2008)
"The Tear", Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
"True Names", Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
"Truth", Robert Reed (Asimov's Oct/Nov 2008)

2009 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:58:00 +0000

2009 Hugo Award nominees for Best Novelette

"Alastair Baffle's Emporium of Wonders", Mike Resnick (Asimov's Jan 2008)
"The Gambler", Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
"Pride and Prometheus", John Kessel (F&SF Jan 2008)
"The Ray-Gun: A Love Story", James Alan Gardner (Asimov's Feb 2008)
"Shoggoths in Bloom", Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's Mar 2008)

2009 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:41:00 +0000

2009 Hugo Award nominees for Best Short Story

"26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss", Kij Johnson (Asimov's Jul 2008)
"Article of Faith", Mike Resnick (Baen's Universe Oct 2008)
"Evil Robot Monkey", Mary Robinette Kowal (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two)
"Exhalation", Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
"From Babel's Fall'n Glory We Fled", Michael Swanwick (Asimov's Feb 2008)

"The Flowers of Nicosia", David Ira Cleary

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:09:00 +0000

NV ASFM (Asimov’s Science Fiction) December 2008 – science fiction
<<- Asimov's Dec. 2008 cover by J.K. Potter for "The Flowers of Nicosia"

Downtown Dharma is an American rock and roll band. They are a middle-aged threesome - Dennis (vocals, guitars), Vlad (bass) and Rick (drums) - that like playing Nirvana covers. After terrorists blow up the venue they are about to play in Italy, they decide the take their music to Muslims to try to heal the rift between East and West.

They go to Cyprus, an island divided between Turkish Muslims and Greek Christians. There they meet Ali, who knows the rock scene in Nicosia and wants to be their manager. They play a club on the Greek side where they meet Shayla, who is headscarf-wearing rock chick. Shayla takes a liking to the drummer, Rick, who is a Xanax addict. Shayla and Ali were a once a couple, but now they bicker.

Downtown Dharma cross the United Nations-controlled Green Line with Ali and Shayla. Despite warnings of terrorists using a biological agent called Amanita, which causes your body to break out in colorful fungi growths, they insist on playing a club in dangerous Turkish Nicosia.

I found "The Flowers of Nicosia" to be an engaging story. It's set in the near future, with Amanita spores and heat-resistant Mylar clothing as the fantastic elements. The author relates the foreignness of the setting. The plot develops tension. The Americans in the band seems both idealistic enough and reckless enough for the story to work.

I choose to read this novella because the introduction mentioned it was inspired, in part, by R.E.M.'s "The Flowers of Guatemala", which is a cool song. And yes, I see that inspiration.

"Still on the Road", Geoffrey A. Landis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:09:00 +0000

SS, ASFM (Asimov’s Science Fiction) December 2008 – science fantasy
A couple of guys travel the roads, driving from place to place. But their vehicle isn’t a car, it’s a spaceship. They give another guy a ride to a planet near Arcturus.

A very short story - less than two pages. It has a folksy feel to it.

"New Hat", Connie Willis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:19:00 +0000

SS, Rocky Mountain News 9/30/08 - fiction
In 1924 a timid young woman named Clara travels alone to Denver to enquire about her Uncle Matt’s will. She realizes something about herself and her fiancé Kane.

There are no fantastic elements in this story. This is a pleasant piece of short fiction.

I read this story on good, old-fashioned paper. But here's a link to read New Hat online on the Rocky Mountain News website.

"Way Down East", Tim Sullivan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:31:00 +0000

NT ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) December 2008 - science fiction
Two New England lobstermen, Donny Doyle and Laurent Therriault, offer to take the alien visitor from Gliese 581e (the Gleezer) out on the bay in their boat, along with its security detail.

In this story two working class guys are changed by their brief encounter with an unusual-looking empathic alien.

2008 Hugo Award Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:43:00 +0000

BEST NOVEL
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

BEST NOVELLA
"All Seated on the Ground" by Connie Willis (Asimov's Dec 2007

BEST NOVELETTE
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (F&SF Sep 2007)

BEST SHORT STORY
"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's Jun 2007)

Congratulations to this years' Hugo Award winners in the fiction categories!

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:43:00 +0000

"The Fountain of Age", Nancy Kress
"Recovering Apollo 8", Kristine Kathryn Rusch
"Stars Seen Through Stone", Lucius Shepard
"All Seated on the Ground", Connie Willis
"Memorare", Gene Wolfe

Of this list, I've only read the Connie Willis novella. I thought "All Seated on the Ground" was entertaining but somewhat lightweight reading.

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:41:00 +0000

"The Cambist and Lord Iron: a Fairytale of Economics", Daniel Abraham
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate", Ted Chiang
"Dark Integers", Greg Egan
"Glory", Greg Egan
"Finisterra", David Moles

I've read four out of five of these novelettes. I reviewed one of them - "Finisterra" - back in December. I nominated the Daniel Abraham story and both the Greg Egan stories, so as you might guess, I liked them a lot. I haven't read the Chiang novelette yet.

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:26:00 +0000

"Last Contact", Stephen Baxter
"Tideline", Elizabeth Bear
"Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?", Ken MacLeod
"Distant Replay", Mike Resnick
"A Small Room in Koboldtown", Michael Swanwick

I've read the first three short stories, and I liked them enough to put them on my Hugo nominations ballot. I was surprised to see that three of my choices in this category made the final list.

You won't find reviews for these pieces of short fiction on this blog. Back in early January, I decided that if I wanted to read enough short fiction to nominate, I better not review stories. Writing these reviews is time consuming for me. In the future, when I'm not as crunched for time, I'll write some more reviews.